India, Israel FTA talks make headway as 2nd round concludes

IANS | July 24, 2026 5:09 PM

New Delhi, July 24 (IANS) India and Israel concluded the second round of four-day negotiations for the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) here, as both sides held detailed discussions across all areas of the proposed agreement and continued to make progress towards a balanced, comprehensive and mutually beneficial FTA, according to a statement issued by the Commerce Ministry on Friday.

India’s cotton output moderates to 290.91 lakh bales in FY26

IANS | July 24, 2026 4:56 PM

New Delhi, July 24 (IANS) Cotton production has ranged from 352.48 lakh bales in 2020‑21 to 290.91 lakh bales in 2025‑26, with productivity broadly stable between 428 and 451 kg per hectare, the government informed Parliament on Friday.

Govt directs GitHub to remove Bitchat repositories citing security concerns

IANS | July 24, 2026 4:53 PM

New Delhi, July 24 (IANS) The government has directed software development platform GitHub to remove repositories hosting Bitchat -- the decentralised messaging application -- citing concerns that the platform could be exploited to evade lawful surveillance and facilitate unlawful activities, developer Jack Dorsey said on Friday.

ACC begins FY27 with resilient performance, eyes stronger quarters ahead

IANS | July 24, 2026 4:24 PM

New Delhi, July 24 (IANS) ACC Ltd has begun FY27 with a resilient performance, supported by a higher share of trade volumes and continued premiumisation, while expressing confidence in improved operational performance in the coming quarters on the back of capacity expansion, cost optimisation and the proposed One Cement Platform, the company said on Friday.